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Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and a placebo both significantly reduced symptoms in children with functional abdominal pain
Author(s) -
Maragkoudaki M,
Chouliaras G,
Orel R,
Horvath A,
Szajewska H,
Papadopoulou A
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13992
Subject(s) - lactobacillus reuteri , medicine , placebo , abdominal pain , probiotic , outpatient clinic , gastroenterology , pediatrics , bacteria , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology , biology
Aim Lactobacillus reuteri is a Gram‐positive bacterium that naturally inhabits the human intestinal tract. This study assessed how effectively the probiotic L. reuteri DSM 17938 managed childhood functional abdominal pain ( FAP ). Methods We recruited 54 children with a mean age 9.1 ± 3.8 years, who were diagnosed with FAP in the outpatient clinics of three university hospitals in Greece, Slovenia and Poland, according to the Rome III criteria, from January 2013 to December 2015. They were randomly assigned to receive either 2 × 10 8 colony‐forming units of L. reuteri (n = 27) or a placebo (n = 27) for four weeks. Results Both L . reuteri and the placebo significantly reduced the frequency and intensity of abdominal pain episodes at four and eight weeks compared to baseline (all p < 0.001). L. reuteri decreased the use of pain relieving drugs at four weeks and the number of child school and adult work absences at four and eight weeks, unlike the placebo, which achieved nonsignificant results. However, the difference between the groups did not reach significance. No side effects were recorded. Conclusion Both L. reuteri and the placebo were effective in alleviating pain in children with FAP , but only L. reuteri improved the child's and family's normal activities.